Human Torch Comics Vol 1 13
Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * Races and Species: * * * | StoryTitle2 = Purple Ghost and His Reign of Terror | Writer2_1 = | Penciler2_1 = Harry Sahle | Inker2_1 = Harry Sahle | Colourist2_1 = | Letterer2_1 = | Editor2_1 = | Synopsis2 = As the Jones family of a small midwestern town are sitting down to dinner their home is invaded by a ghostly creature calling himself the Purple Terror. He tells them to leave town and vanishes in a puff of smoke. When the smoke clears they find that their possessions have all been ruined. When Mr. Jones goes to the chief of police, he tells them that many citizens have been attacked by the same being. When the story hits the newspaper, it is read by the Human Torch and Toro who wonder why the Purple Terror is attacking a small town with no defense factories, or a big city and decide to investigate. When they meet the chief of police of the town, he tells them that he has no clues for them and says that he has suggested to people terrorized by the Purple Terror to leave town for the city until the case is wrapped up. No evidence suggests that it is the work of Nazi spies and both heroes and the police chief doubt they have anything to do with it. They are wrong, as in a secret hideout Nazi spies have met to discuss their on going plans. Having learned the Human Torch and Toro are in town, they begin planning on how best to deal with the heroes. Meanwhile, the Human Torch has decided to take their time in this town to "go on vacation", telling Toro that they won't have to go after the Purple Terror, the Purple Terror will come to them if they make their presence known. Sure enough, after a day out on the town they return to their hotel room where they are confronted by the Purple Terror, who demands that they leave town. The two heroes easily subdue the unsurprisingly non-ghostly being and reveal him to be a local hood. He tells them that he is part of a larger operation and agrees to show them his employers hideout. He leads them to the Nazi hideout where the two heroes walk right into the Nazi's trap. Sealed in an asbestos room lined the leader of the Nazi's appears on a fireproof screen to mock them. However he made the mistake of not lining the floor with asbestos hoping the thick granite flooring would dissuade the two heroes from trying to escape. However, in spite the effort required the two heroes burn through the granite and escape their trap. They then knock out the Nazi spies and learn that their leader is really the chief of police. They also learn that the whole plot was to force small town Americans out of their homes -- and away from their farm jobs -- into the city to hinder food production and create larger panics during attacks on American cities. | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * ** Races and Species: * * * | StoryTitle3 = Men Are Afraid | Writer3_1 = | Penciler3_1 = | Inker3_1 = | Colourist3_1 = | Letterer3_1 = Typeset | Editor3_1 = | Synopsis3 = | Appearing3 = | StoryTitle4 = Deep Sea Lair of the Murdering Octopus | Writer4_1 = | Penciler4_1 = Carl Pfeufer | Inker4_1 = Carl Pfeufer | Colourist4_1 = | Letterer4_1 = | Editor4_1 = | Synopsis4 = In New York City, a salvage conference is underway to figure out the best way to raise the S.S. Norman from the waters. The conference asks the Sub-Mariner to assist in taking a look at the situation with the Norman despite the protests of the engineer, a Norwegian immigrant named Morton Valnik. When Namor dives into the water and approaches the boat a massive cloud of black ink-like fluid floats toward him. Namor soon realizes that it is poison as it is killing the fish. When the black fluid appears on the surface and dead fish rise up from the waters and Namor never returns they believe that he has gone missing or is dead, and the story hits the front pages the next day. As Valnik is reading this, he is visited by a Nazi spy named Karl Gluten. Gluten tells Valnik that he must come up with plans to sabotage the S.S. Norman otherwise his parents in Norway would be hurt. With no choice, Valnik agrees to the terms and gets to work. However, before he can turn over the altered plans, military officials storm his room and accuse him of treason and have him arrested. The Sub-Mariner meanwhile had survived by avoiding the ink the day before. Spotting a Nazi spy planting a gyroscope inside, Namor attempted to get answers from him but he escaped in a mini-sub. Following after it, he found Karl Gluten's secret lair and watched as Gluten killed his subordinate. He then trailed Gluten to Valnik's home and overheard his threats. Following Gluten further, Namor then watched as Gluten went to a pay phone and was the one that ratted Valnik out. Suspecting something was up, the Sub-Mariner posed as Valnik's "brother" and visited him in prison and learned that the authorities were going to raise the S.S. Norma at 54 degrees. Realizing that the gyroscope is rigged to a bomb, Namor then rushes to the salvage site and smashes all the water pumps before they can completely lift the ship out of the waters. Namor then dived into the water to stop the spies. They knock him out and leave him on the sea-mine they had set in place of their gyroscope bomb. However, Namor comes around and places it on the mini-sub and when the spies get far enough away from the Norman, they set it off. The resulting explosion destroys their sub and kills their crew. Namor then returns to the surface and explains the whole ordeal was a plot to sour relations between Norway and the United States. When they go to release Valnik, Namor also reveals that he had Gluten arrested the night before by knocking him out and dousing him in alcohol and having him arrested for public intoxication until he could foil his plot. More good news comes as Valnik gets a telegram from his parents that informs him that they had fled Norway and are now living safely in England. | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Antagonists: * ** Races and Species: * * | StoryTitle5 = Smashing New York's Black Menace | Writer5_1 = | Penciler5_1 = Harry Sahle | Inker5_1 = Harry Sahle | Colourist5_1 = | Letterer5_1 = | Editor5_1 = | Synopsis5 = With Axis forces losing ground in Russia, Italy and Germany, Adolf Hitler has become very angry and has demanded answers from his highest ranking officers. Joseph Goebbels recommends they start using "Bellen Wasser" or "War Water" a new chemical compound Nazi scientists have developed. Hitler agrees and after a successful use in a Russian campaign they announce that they will be attempting to ship it into the United States for use by Nazi spies. This news come at the same time that Swiss runner Kaspar Gregg is coming to the United States to compete in a triathalon. These stories attract the attention of both the Human Torch and Toro. When the Torch spots a secret message in the news story that suggests that Gregg might be the one smuggling the formula, he takes his suspicions to the FBI. When Gregg arrives a week later, they inspect his luggage but find no trace of the formula and decide to keep a close eye on him. During the triathalon, members of the race are replaced by Nazi spies led by Herr Wolf and when the Torch and Toro realize what is going on they attempt to stop the fake athlete from making off with the formula which is hidden in the triathalong baton. However, the lights are doused and he manages to escape. When they question Gregg over his involvement, he tells them that his parents were taken hostage to a concentration camp and threatened him to do their bidding if he wanted to see them alive again. Having heard that their leader's name is Wolf, the Torch and Toro track them down to a company called Wolfs Chemicals. There they attack the Nazi spies just as they have completed their first batch of War Water. The Nazis knock the two heroes out by spraying them with the water and then flee the scene in order to use their new weapon to destroy the George Washington Bridge. When the Torch and Toro come around they find that their flames are still on and realize that the War Water is a powerful incendiary fluid. Finding plans to the George Washington Bridge in the base, the two flaming heroes flame on and go after the crooks. They catch them as they are about to douse the base of the bridge with the War Water and attack. While Toro pushes the cylinder of War Water into the water, the Torch easily rounds up the spies and turns them over to the authorities ending their threat. | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * ** ** ** ** Races and Species: * * * | Notes = * In the last story of this issue, "Bellen Wasser" is said to mean "War Water" in German. This actually translates to "Barking Water". A direct translation of "War Water" into German would actually be "Krieg-Wasser". | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}